Love the Droid Turbo but concerned over how Motorola will handle the Lollipop update

My coworker just got the Droid Turbo today and I was excited to check it out as it basically seemed like it would be a Moto X (2014) but better in pretty much every way. The phone is super fast, screen looks amazing and thankfully the MGF back is night and day better than the awful gel type coating that the Droid Ultra had last year.

I have a Moto X (2013) right now but am wondering if anyone else has concerns over how Motorola might handle the update to 5.0. Last year when KitKat rolled out the Moto X got a UI update to match while the Droids (Maxx, Ultra, and Mini) all ended up stuck with the JellyBean UI elements (dialer, contacts, quick settings, status bar, etc...). I have already seen a couple UI tweaks on the Droid Turbo that are not part of the stock experience, notably in settings and the Moto email client vs the Google client. I really hope Motorola won't keep this phone stuck with the KitKat UI and features. I guess I will most likely just wait til 5.0 pushes out to see what they do but wondering if anyone else has had similar thoughts or concerns?

10-30-2014, 04:00 PM

Ry

Re: Love the Droid Turbo but concerned over how Motorola will handle the Lollipop update

Originally Posted by landale

My coworker just got the Droid Turbo today and I was excited to check it out as it basically seemed like it would be a Moto X (2014) but better in pretty much every way. The phone is super fast, screen looks amazing and thankfully the MGF back is night and day better than the awful gel type coating that the Droid Ultra had last year.

I have a Moto X (2013) right now but am wondering if anyone else has concerns over how Motorola might handle the update to 5.0. Last year when KitKat rolled out the Moto X got a UI update to match while the Droids (Maxx, Ultra, and Mini) all ended up stuck with the JellyBean UI elements (dialer, contacts, quick settings, status bar, etc...). I have already seen a couple UI tweaks on the Droid Turbo that are not part of the stock experience, notably in settings and the Moto email client vs the Google client. I really hope Motorola won't keep this phone stuck with the KitKat UI and features. I guess I will most likely just wait til 5.0 pushes out to see what they do but wondering if anyone else has had similar thoughts or concerns?

Remember - this is a DROID. All signs point to the Jelly Bean UI elements being retained on some 2013 DROID updates due to Verizon's request. I'm expecting a similar story with the DROID TURBO.

That said, people should want all the security enhancements and new APIs. The UI is just the UI.

10-30-2014, 04:06 PM

Masheen

Re: Love the Droid Turbo but concerned over how Motorola will handle the Lollipop update

Originally Posted by Ry

Remember - this is a DROID. All signs point to the Jelly Bean UI elements being retained on some 2013 DROID updates due to Verizon's request. I'm not expecting a similar story with the DROID TURBO.

That said, people should want all the security enhancements and new APIs. The UI is just the UI.

Well said. Although I dislike how Verizon holds up the process. They do make sure that it secure before implementation. I believe that based on Droid Maxx updates, we will see a very favorable schedule, and be second/third in line for updates, as Nexus is first, and Moto X will be second. Our device is so similar to the nearly stock Moto X, that the coding must also be similar, which would make it easier to build for our platform. Moto understands that updates are a huge factor, and they have given us a great experience with the OG Moto X and Droid Maxx. Let's hope that it continues!

10-30-2014, 04:06 PM

landale

Re: Love the Droid Turbo but concerned over how Motorola will handle the Lollipop update

Originally Posted by Ry

Remember - this is a DROID. All signs point to the Jelly Bean UI elements being retained on some 2013 DROID updates due to Verizon's request. I'm not expecting a similar story with the DROID TURBO.

That said, people should want all the security enhancements and new APIs. The UI is just the UI.

I hope you're right and I agree the UI is just the UI. Obviously the difference between 4.2 and 4.4 was a lot smaller than the update from 4.4 and 5.0 will be. So while part of me says they would never do that again given the major UI and feature changes in 5.0 a little part of me still thinks how Verizon wouldn't let Motorola make the small changes last year in order to keep the style the same for its users. I guess we will find out in a couple months.

10-30-2014, 04:16 PM

Ry

Originally Posted by Masheen

Well said. Although I dislike how Verizon holds up the process. They do make sure that it secure before implementation. I believe that based on Droid Maxx updates, we will see a very favorable schedule, and be second/third in line for updates, as Nexus is first, and Moto X will be second. Our device is so similar to the nearly stock Moto X, that the coding must also be similar, which would make it easier to build for our platform. Moto understands that updates are a huge factor, and they have given us a great experience with the OG Moto X and Droid Maxx. Let's hope that it continues!

Holds up the process?

First - let's remember, it's a DROID. Verizon had more of a hand in making this phone than say the Moto X. It's as much Verizon's phone as it is Motorola's.

Second - Motorola needs to be working on the update. Verizon can't hold up an update if the update doesn't even exist yet.

Third - even if Verizon "held up" updates to the 2013 DROIDs, they still got to 4.4 and 4.4.4 faster than almost every other OEM.

In the last year, Motorola has proven you can do updates fast on Verizon or any other carrier. The Moto X 4.4 OTA for Verizon was just as fast, if not faster, than some Nexus OTAs. And didn't it beat all GPe OTAs?!

THE PREPAID VERIZON MOTO G RUNS ANDROID 4.4.4. PREPAID!

I don't want to sound like a Verizon apologist, but placing update blame solely on the carrier is incorrect.

10-30-2014, 04:26 PM

landale

Re: Love the Droid Turbo but concerned over how Motorola will handle the Lollipop update

Originally Posted by Ry

I don't want to sound like a Verizon apologist, but placing update blame solely on the carrier is incorrect.

I totally agree that Verizon has no interest in delaying the updates as they know the DROID's are their flagship brand. As we all know the 2013 DROID's got 4.4 months before any other non Motorola phone on Verizon.

My concern is their shorted sighted decisions on changing and removing new stock Android features that would otherwise be included. They did it last year and I sure hope they have learned from their mistakes and don't try to get heavy handed again this year.

10-30-2014, 04:31 PM

Masheen

Re: Love the Droid Turbo but concerned over how Motorola will handle the Lollipop update

Originally Posted by Ry

Holds up the process?

First - let's remember, it's a DROID. Verizon had more of a hand in making this phone than say the Moto X. It's as much Verizon's phone as it is Motorola's.

Second - Motorola needs to be working on the update. Verizon can't hold up an update if the update doesn't even exist yet.

Third - even if Verizon "held up" updates to the 2013 DROIDs, they still got to 4.4 and 4.4.2 faster than almost every other OEM.

In the last year, Motorola has proven you can do updates fast on Verizon or any other carrier. The Moto X 4.4 OTA for Verizon was just as fast, if not faster, than some Nexus OTAs. And didn't it beat all GPe OTAs?!

THE PREPAID VERIZON MOTO G RUNS ANDROID 4.4.2. PREPAID!

I don't want to sound like a Verizon apologist, but placing update blame solely on the carrier is incorrect.

True. I love Verizon, as a carrier and organization. I'm just a little salty still after owning a Galaxy Nexus and expecting a different experience.

10-30-2014, 05:17 PM

tdizzel

Re: Love the Droid Turbo but concerned over how Motorola will handle the Lollipop update

Originally Posted by Ry

I don't want to sound like a Verizon apologist, but placing update blame solely on the carrier is incorrect.

You might wanna be careful, I don't think common sense is allowed around these parts.

10-30-2014, 07:53 PM

vzwuser76

Re: Love the Droid Turbo but concerned over how Motorola will handle the Lollipop update

Originally Posted by tdizzel

You might wanna be careful, I don't think common sense is allowed around these parts.

Common sense, so rare it should be a super power.

10-30-2014, 07:55 PM

doogald

Re: Love the Droid Turbo but concerned over how Motorola will handle the Lollipop update

Originally Posted by Ry

Third - even if Verizon "held up" updates to the 2013 DROIDs, they still got to 4.4 and 4.4.2 faster than almost every other OEM.

Sorry for being slightly pedantic, but the first part of that is right - many of the 2013 Droids updated to 4.4 in late December, before any other device but the Moto X and the Nexus devices. (Some people bricked their phones with the update when *I think* Verizon accidentally pushed what was supposed to be a soak test to everybody, and the update was pulled until a few weeks later.) However, the Droids never got 4.4.2 and they were plagued with some annoying bugs on 4.4 until they finally received an update to 4.4.4 in July.

That said, as a Maxx owner I still think that Verizon and Motorola have done a great job supporting this phone and keeping it updated. I have no idea if a Lollipop upgrade will be fast for the Turbo, but I feel confident that it will be.

10-30-2014, 08:02 PM

Ry

Re: Love the Droid Turbo but concerned over how Motorola will handle the Lollipop update